STAGE TUBE: Broadway Inspirational Voices Launches Kickstarter Campaign for GREAT JOY II: AROUND THE WORLD

Grammy award and Tony award nominee Michael McElroy and Broadway Inspirational Voices (BIV) are gearing up for their second holiday album "Great Joy II: Around the World". They are kicking off their fundraising with a Kickstarter campaign, running from May 15th through June 15th. BIV members and friends from the Broadway community who have supported in the campaign include BIV board president Phylicia Rashad, Mario Cantone, Lin Mañuel Miranda, Stephanie J. Block, Leslie Uggams, Angela Robinson, Billy Porter, Adriane Lenox, Alice Ripley, Gavin Creel, Shoshana Bean, Eden Espinosa, Montego Glover, Tom Kitt and many more. Watch the pitch video!

Almost 11 years ago, BIV recorded their debut holiday album "Great Joy: A Gospel Christmas", in which Michael and his co-writers Joseph Joubert and Buryl Red were nominated for a Grammy. The album went on to sell worldwide and be performed in multiple countries and languages. All proceeds from album sales as well as the concerts and events BIV performs, go to fund their outreach initiative.

Broadway Inspirational Voices is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. Founded in December of 1999 by Michael McElroy, BIV is a gospel ensemble comprised of actors performing on and off Broadway. Some of the shows represented today are After Midnight, Disney's Aladdin, Avenue Q, Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots, The Lion King, Motown The Musical, Pippin, Violet, Wicked, and more.

BIV Mission: Broadway Inspirational Voices is a multi-ethnic choir comprised of Broadway musicians and singers who are devoted to strengthening and unifying the New York community through the transcendent power of music. Our purpose is to provide outreach programs through concerts, recordings, showcases, and workshops designed to help children, teens, and young adults who are in need of educational, health, or cultural enrichment.

BIV have been seen on America's Got Talent, Smash, The Late Show with David Letterman, the 2009 Tony Awards, Today Show, Vanessa Williams Total Request Live, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, and in concerts on Broadway, Carnegie Hall, City Center, Constitutional Hall in Washington, D.C. and the Crystal Cathedral in Anaheim, California. This versatile choir has performed with such musical greats as: Elton John, Patti Labelle, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Vanessa Williams, Stephanie Mills and Oleta Adams. BIV formed a creative relationship with The CenturyMen, a Grammy nominated, 100 voice men's ensemble of Ministers of Music from Baptist Churches Around The country, in an effort to broaden their musical scope and their audience. The CenturyMen invited BIV on their first West Coast Tour performing in six cities to sold-out audiences. In 2010, BIV became a not-for-profit organization and instituted an Outreach Program. Working relationships were established with organizations, such as The Ronald McDonald House New York and Green Chimneys, as well as schools, including PS 178 and PS 375, to launch music programs by bringing in Broadway performers and composers. Aside from the CD's, Grace (DMP Records), and Great Joy! A Gospel Christmas (Sh-K-Boom Records), the Grammy nominated choir can be heard on recordings with Yoko Ono (soon to be released),the Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Vanessa Williams, Laura Isabar, the CenturyMen, the Three Mo' Tenors, Rosa, Stars on Broadway, Barbara Cooke (Grammy Nominated), and Clay Aiken, as well as, such film releases as Preaching To The Choir and Why Did I Get Married.

More info at BroadwayInspirationalVoices.org.

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